Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios. This story is based on the episode Ship in a Bottle containing spoilers. Dr. Evangeline Muller and the Gireezians are mine. The dataport crystal idea is from the Deep Space 9 episode A Simple Investigation.
Chapter 7: Anatomy lesson
The rest of the Enterprise away team and the other Gireezians beamed up after Crusher and Evangeline had been beamed to sickbay. Evangeline was struggling to breath as the medics placed her on the biobed. Crusher used a hypospray on the woman so that she could better fix the problem. The two injections of antibiotics reduced her fever slightly and a few more medications allowed her to breath normally again.
With her condition at least stabilized, Crusher was able to use a dermal regenerator to restore her normal appearance. Knowing that she would have to wait for a while before giving Evangeline any more medication, the chief medical officer took the opportunity to hail the captain.
"Crusher to Picard, Captain the rescue mission was successful, thanks to Dr. Muller. However, the bio-shield that she was using collapsed and her immune system when into shock. She's stable for the moment, but I honestly don't know if she can come out of this."
"Commander Riker has beamed down her with the Gireezians and he's just told me what they have been doing to those people on the Southern continent. I find it appalling and we are leaving immediately. Keep me posted on Dr. Muller's condition. Picard out."
"Yes sir, Crusher out," she ended.
She checked on Evangeline again and found no change. Then she heard someone on the computer screen in her office. She headed over to it and looked into the face of a very irritated Moriarty. "Dr. Crusher, I know that the away team has returned and I demand to speak with Evangeline!"
Crusher sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair, suddenly realizing that she still looked like a Gireezian. "Professor Moriarty, I am sorry, but she is unable to speak with you right now. You will have to give us a little while. Talk to the captain when he returns," she told him firmly as she switched the screen off and headed off to find the dermal regenerator.
The captain was attempting to close the situation with Overseer Padro. "Your people have disrupted a century's old practice and our more primitive population may cause trouble now," Padro argued.
"Overseer, we were retrieving your people for you, at the cost of one of our own. I really must return to my ship to look over her condition," Picard expressed.
Padro crossed his arms and the captain wandered what bothered the overseer more, letting the more primitive group have technology, or having outsiders learn of the Gireezians' inequality issues. "Your people have interfered enough. Please leave us," Padro requested.
The Enterprise crew returned to the ship and Picard ordered the ship out of Gireezian space at warp six before he reclaimed his chair. "Number One," the captain paused, turning to Riker, "Remember that sometimes when things appear too good to be true, they sometimes are.
The commander nodded as the ship moved through space. Then from the holodeck, Moriarty appeared on the viewscreen, glaring at the captain. "Picard, I must know if Evangeline is alright. Your doctor tells me very little. I would appreciate being told what happened down on that planet and I would bloody well like some answers specifically regarding Evangeline," Moriarty declared.
Picard sighed heavily and spoke to the viewscreen with reluctance. "Professor, I really don't have time for this. As far as I know, her immune system encounter difficulties on the away mission and she is in sickbay in stable condition, recuperating. I personally plan to visit sickbay later to learn if there has been any improvement. Now if you don't mind, it's been a very long day, so get the hell off my viewscreen."
"None of you understand," Moriarty stated, looking away. His transmission ended and the bridge crew saw stars again.
Troi turned toward the captain. "Sir, unlike us, he cannot just visit sickbay. And he's greatly frustrated with us because don't appear to be giving Dr. Muller enough attention," she remarked.
He raised an eyebrow. "You can read a hologram?" Picard questioned.
She shook her head and replied, "No sir, it's simply an observation."
The captain sighed heavily and stood. "Number One, you have the bridge. I need to pay a visit to sickbay."
Crusher had finished checking Evangeline's vital signs when she heard the swish of the sickbay doors. Picard entered and walked over to the patient. "She's still unconscious, isn't she?" he inquired.
She nodded reluctantly. "She's contracted a bacterial infection that she doesn't have the immune system to fight. I've done everything I can. All we can do is wait and hope that the medication I gave her will have some affect."
He paced across the front of the biobed. "I wish there had been a better way. She saved our people and theirs, only to end up like this," he grumbled.
"She's not the only reason your here, is she?" Crusher probed.
Picard shook his head. "We have a very irate hologram who is deeply and, Deanna believes, genuinely concerned about her. How am I going to tell him that we could lose her?"
Before Crusher could answer, a weak but articulate voice came from the biobed. "Captain, Dr. Crusher, is there a way that I can speak to James?" Evangeline requested.
Crusher rushed back over to scan the woman. The medications were working, but slowly. "You should be resting," the chief medical officer relayed.
"I am well aware of that, and your concern is greatly appreciated. However, if I speak to James, then he will leave the two of you in peace," Evangeline reminded.
"I'll get my computer," Crusher stated, heading for her office. She returned shortly with the device.
Evangeline called the holodeck. After a moment, Moriarty's face appeared on the screen. He gasped at her flushed, haggard appearance. "Evangeline, my dear, what have they done to you?"
"James, I need to stay in sickbay for a while longer. It would be better if you did not ask the doctor or the captain about me. I shall speak with you in person as soon as I am able to," she explained.
He wanted to say more, but he could see how tired she was. "Rest Evangeline. I will respect your requested and not trouble the others, but I must here from you tomorrow all the same."
"You shall, James. Goodbye," she ended.
"Goodbye, my dear," he finished.
Crusher took the computer back as Evangeline lied back on the biobed and let a healing sleep claim her again. The following day she spoke to Moriarty again. The chief medical officer and the captain stood back and conversed.
"She's going to be back on her feet again, but it will take a couple of months, and I don't think she wants to spend that much time in sickbay," Crusher remarked.
"Couldn't she just stay in her quarters?" Picard inquired.
The doctor bit her lip pensively. "Someone would need to stay with her constantly, and I can't spare the personnel right now," she paused and glanced at Moriarty as he and Evangeline talked. "Unless… unless we let Moriarty take care of her. We wouldn't have to resort to a holographic nurse program, and he would stop bothering us," Crusher concluded.
Picard sighed heavily. "Beverly, we would be giving him some of her codes, along with codes for various medicines. I want to keep his knowledge of the ship as limited as possible."
She crossed her arms and glanced momentarily at her patient before returning her gaze to the man in front of her. "Jean-Luc, I think that we should at least be open-mined about this. Moriarty seems primarily concerned with her. I suggested that we at least talk to him about it. Maybe he won't even want to, but it's worth a try," she advised.
The captain paced again in thought as Evangeline finished her conversation and went back to sleep. Crusher took her computer and placed it back in her office. When she returned to Picard, he seemed mildly annoyed at the inevitable conclusion he had drawn. "You're probably right, and we need to speak with him," he acquiesced.
They left sickbay for the holodeck. When they had entered, Moriarty set down the book he had been reading and faced them, looking from one to the other with an expression between irritation and impatience. Crusher noticed that the book he had set down was medical book of current problematic ailments.
"We have a situation that may interest you," Picard began. "Dr. Muller is improving, but very slowly. She will be moved from sickbay to her own quarters for her recovery, but it is necessary that she has someone to take care of her for the first few weeks. We were wondering what your interest in the matter might be."
Moriarty read the look Picard was giving him quite well. "Captain, Doctor, neither of you truly understand. I love her and I am willing to do anything for her that she needs. The two of you are worried that I will do something clandestine and try to take over the ship again. I promise you that I am past such things. My concern is for Evangeline," he explained.
"You will need her codes along with codes for the medication. She is stubborn, but she'll probably except help from you," Crusher added.
"The two of you still do not entirely trust me," Moriarty mentioned. An exchange of glances between the other two confirmed the theory. "I am not the one in the wrong this time. Doctor, you let her go down to that planet, on that mission, and therefore you are responsible for how sick she is now. Captain, for some reason, the people here deduced that she was the only one capable of helping them. Whether or not that is true, she has been wronged in this situation! Because she is not a regular part of the crew, the rest of you seem to neglect her in favour of other matters. That woman matters a great deal to me."
Picard and Crusher were surprised at his intensity and realized how serious he was and did not argue with him. They agreed that he would watch over Evangeline. She was moved the following day from sickbay to her quarters, set comfortably on the couch with blankets and pillows. As Crusher and the others left, Evangeline looked for who would be helping her until she was better.
Her eyes came to rest on a familiar form in black, wearing her grandfather's pocket watch. She smiled, trying not to let the tears of relief and comfort slide down her cheeks. Propriety was to be maintained, but for a moment she could let go. "James, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed.
He stood by the couch and gently clasped one of her hands in both of his. "I am to take care of you until you feel better. Dr. Crusher tells me that I must administer your medication and be at your disposal to obtain whatever else you may require," he paused, faltering between standing and sitting down next to her. He finally came to a brief compromise and kissed her hand. "I was so worried."
"I did not mean to bring this sort of trouble upon myself, but they needed my help," she justified.
One of his hands left hers to lightly touch her face. "Is there anything I can get for you, my dear?" he asked.
"Tea would be lovely, thank you," she responded, her voice still week and whisper-like.
She only went from her bed to the couch for a week before she felt well enough to be anywhere else. He treated her with the greatest respect, never seeing her with less than a dressing gown over her nightgown. They ate meals together and enjoyed each other's company. Counselor Troi occasionally visited, as did Guinan, Crusher, and Picard.
As she gained small bits of her health back, Evangeline played chess with Moriarty. She learned that he was a fascinating story teller and that though his experiences were written for fiction, he could tell her of some intriguing adventures. He would pull up a chair and sit next to the couch, holding one of her hands. The stories would sometimes be long enough so that she drifted pleasantly off to sleep. Whenever she woke, he was beside her.
It had been three weeks since the incident and she no longer sat around in her dressing gown, but had resumed her usual clothing. Evangeline sat up slightly as Moriarty handed her a cup of tea. "I do feel better, you know, so stop staring at me as if I were not planning on being here tomorrow," she told him after noticing the concern in his yes.
"I'm sorry, my dear. It is disconcerting to see you so ill. For me, I can't become ill and therefore am forced to watch and with the slim hope that I am helping," he responded.
She took another sip of her tea and smiled. "I probably look worse than I actually feel. I noticed that you've been reading more books on the transporters. Are you gaining any ground with it?"
He sighed and shook his head. "It seems that I am bound to the holodeck. The transporters only work if you have an object that can be taken apart and put back together to be the same object."
Suddenly Evangeline set the teacup down and looked over at him. "However, the replicators do not work that way! With replicators, particles of one matter are rematerialized to become something different. I believe that we have been going about this endeavor the wrong way. What we need to obtain is a larger replicator," she reasoned.
Over the next few days, the two used the smaller replicators to make the parts for a larger one. They assembled it and made certain that it was attached to the usual replicator system. Then Evangeline configured the program selection to incorporate human body parts and systems. The apparatus was completed a week after their discussion, being horizontal like a bed.
Moriarty eyed it with curiosity. "Why are you certain that this will work? Do these replicate more than non-living things?"
"What is replicated is a cortical impulse in certain foods. Klingon gagh is alive when consumed, so the replicator simulates movements with cortical impulses. This means that I can simulate a nervous system," she explained.
"How does my consciousness enter into this?" he questioned.
Evangeline used the little replicator to produce a dataport that attached it directly to the brain stem after heading over to her desk and removing a data crystal from the top drawer. "This is a Cardassian data crystal and a dataport to plug it into. We can transfer your files to the data crystal and this will serve as your brain. With the port being inserted into the brain stem and attached to the nervous system, your autonomic function will all be stabilized. I know this all sounds horribly complicated, but I have studied the Idanian culture, who uses this technology for espionage."
"I suppose we might as well give it a try," he rationalized.
She used her own device to transfer Moriarty's program to the data crystal first. Then she took a deep breath before addressing the life-sized replicator. "Computer, replicate a human body, male, with all systems and organs in working order, also including a cortical insertion port for a dataport and crystal, and let it wear Moriarty subroutine 5, with the appearance of Professor James Moriarty."
To their surprise, the replicator was able to comply. Evangeline grabbed her tricorder and scanned the form. "It's a bit hard to decipher, but I believe that it has worked."
Moriarty helped her move the clothed form from the replicator to the floor. "What are we to do now?" he inquired, studying his own likeness before him.
"If you could please help me sit him up, then I could insert the dataport and the crystal," she requested. He did as she suggested and then the crystal was inserted. "Computer, turn off holo-emitters," she added.
The hologram of Moriarty disappeared and she turned to the form before her. "Can you hear me, James?"
The form sat up and looked at her. "Evangeline, I believe that we have succeeded!" he exclaimed. It took him a moment to process all that he was hearing, smelling, and seeing. Actually having all five senses had become a curious experience.
"Can you stand?" she questioned.
He stood and helped her up as well. Then he faced her and grinned broadly. "I cannot wait to see the look on Picard's face when he sees me, walking on his real bridge."
On the bridge, a strange sound was heard from the systems. "Number One, what was that?" Picard asked as he stepped onto the bridge from the ready room.
Riker looked at his console. "There was a sudden massive power use somewhere on the ship," he paused and realized that there was something else too. "Captain the computer's showing a new, unidentified life sign in Dr. Muller's quarters."
Picard used the CONN to contact Evangeline. "Dr. Muller, the computer is picking up a new life sign in your quarters. Is everything alright?"
"We're fine, captain. There is something that we would like to show you," she replied in a cheery voice.
"I'm on my way, Picard out," he stated before looking over at Troi. "Are you sensing anything, counselor?"
"I'm honestly not sure," she answered, looking pensive.
"Then I'd better hurry. I have a feeling that this has something to do with Moriarty. The next time that Q tells me that he owes me a favour, I'm having him remove that hologram permanently," Picard added tersely as he left the bridge.
As he reached Evangeline's quarters, her doors opened and she stepped out. "Hello, captain, I'm glad that you could come by," she remarked.
"Hello Dr. Muller, please excuse my forwardness, but what is this all about?" he almost demanded.
His jaw nearly dropped when he watched as a figure in black stepped gracefully out of Evangeline's quarters and into the hall. Moriarty smiled with satisfaction. "Well Picard, it appears that I will not need your help after all."
(A apologize for the taking so excruciatingly long to post. I have been swallowed up in the black hole of work and anxiety lately. My thanks to DanielMolloy for reviewing :D).
